Are we out of the woods yet?
by radxx
Summary: For how long can you walk around with blinkers repeting to yourself that you don't have feelings for your best friend when said best friend seems to be doing everything she can to take those blinkers away from your eyes? or The semi-AU where Beca and Chloe feel before they understand. That understanding, though, comes one little step at the time.
1. Chapter 1

"Dude, I swear I will _not_ get on that plane."

"Come on Beca, you have done it already at least 5 times in the past 2 years. It's not a big deal!"

"It is, since two planes crashed within a few days from one another."

"This is ridiculous, you can't possibly be that superstitious! And anyway, it's not like we have a choice. Nationals are in NY and we live in Atlanta, in case you haven't noticed. So unless you wish to drive all by yourself for more than 13 hours, I suggest you get over all of this non sense and get on that damn plane, Mitchell."

Beca vigorously shook her head, "Nope, not gonna happen Stacie."

Beca had never been the kind of person that loves to travel by plane. It is actually safe to say that she hated it, like she has for most of her life. It all started when she got on a plane for the first time and during the flight there had been some trouble with turbulences and she had freaked out crying and yelling that she wanted to go home. She didn't know how her mother managed not to choke her that day. Hell, she was five but it had still been a trauma to her.  
She hadn't had particular problems with planes for many years now. She could get on a plane without losing it but that didn't mean that she actually enjoyed flying.

That was until she heard of the two defective planes that crushed only a few days before.

"Beca _please_. What do we have to do to convince you? Those planes have been accidents and now every single flying company is running tests and checking everything, each engine and each piece of metal of each plane."

Stacie was giving her puppy eyes, just to convince her. Beca returned her look with an almost impassive one and held her gaze and for a second the taller girl thought she might have changed the DJ's mind. Just for a second.

"Not. Going. To. Happen."

Stacie's groan rang out loudly through the Bellas' house while she walked towards the kitchen counter where Cynthia Rose and Jessica were sitting. Both girls chuckled at the exchange they had just witnessed, which earned them a glare from Stacie.

"I can't believe this!", Stacie exclaimed, "you are the most stubborn person I've ever known! I literally spent the past 45 minutes trying to put some sense into you and _nothing_! It did _nothing_!"

Beca simply shrugged, grinning at Cynthia Rose and Jessica who seemed to be about to choke with laughter.

"Ugh, you're impossible", Stacie stated with a hint of a smile, infected by the laughter herself.

"Who's impossible?"

Chloe walked in that moment and gave Beca a confused look, waiting for an explanation. "And why are these two suffocating?", she raised an eyebrow at the two, without losing her never-fading wide smile.

"Shortstack here doesn't want to travel by plane because ' _it could crash and maybe even fall on a almost desert island in the middle of nowhere, where crazy scientists run tests on polar bears and boars and they'd kidnap us one by one and put us in cages or eventually leave us at the mercy of the black smoke._ ' "

Beca frowned and glared at Stacie, which made Chloe laugh aloud and shake her head, looking amused at the Bellas' captain.

"The way you said it, you made it sound ridiculous and it is so _not_ ridiculous", Beca shot back, "and I don't like being called shortstack". Beca pouted and that made everyone laugh even more and harder.

"I'm starting to regret making you watch Lost. That show is seriously messing with your head". Chloe walked over to Beca, put her arms around the girl's waist and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Aww you're so cute when you pout", she said placing another kiss on her cheek.

"I'm not cute, and I'm not pouting", she said unconsciously pouting even more, which earned her another big laugh from everyone in the room.

Chloe sat down on the couch, dragging Beca with her and facing the smaller girl. The redhead was smiling widely, her face was beaming and the piercing blue eyes were staring at Beca's navy ones. The DJ couldn't help gazing into those perfect bright eyes in awe and most of all you couldn't stop her mouth from dropping slightly. "Whatever you say, boss. Now, what's this non sense about you not getting on a plane all of a sudden?"

The question shook Beca out of her trance. She stopped staring, although everyone had noticed her weird behavior.  
"It's no big deal, I just don't trust airline companies and most of all I don't like the idea of being 30.000 feet up in the air in a possibly defective plane."

"Oh come on! This is what this is about?"

"Brace yourself, red. She's not backing down", Stacie interjected.

Chloe eyed her and then shifted her eyes to Beca. The redhead had now a weird look on her face, suddenly determined and defiant. She shifted on the couch and moved closer to Beca, then gently leaned her arm on the smaller girl's shoulder.

Chloe felt the DJ stiffen next to her. Beca's breath caught in her throat as the redhead brought her face a little bit closer to her. When she started talking, Beca felt Chloe's hot breath gently warming her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. Chloe noticed and a grin appeared on her face, causing Beca to blush.

"Please, Becs. There's nothing to worry about. It'll last only a few hours, then we'll go check in the hotel and we'll go clubbing at night." Her voice was low but not that the others could hear. It was just above a whisper and it was mesmerizing Beca.

Chloe gently tucked a lock of brown hair behind the DJ's ear, lightly brushing her fingers against the cheek.

"I'll buy you a drink when we go out, too". Chloe grinned widely at the reaction she was getting from Beca. The girl's lips were slightly parted, her eyes fixed on Chloe's light blue ones. It took her a few seconds to realize that she had been asked a question and had to give some sort of answer.

She opened her mouth but the only thing that came out of it was a low moan. _Words_ , _Beca_ , _try to process words._

"Ugh, I mean- I could- fine". _Way to go. What a wonderful sentence._

"Fine?", Chloe raised an eyebrow and stared intensely at Beca.

The Bellas captain cleared her throat, hoping to regain some composure, and shrugged pretending the exchange hadn't had any effect on her.  
"Yeah, I mean, I guess I can try and get over that fear. After all it's a matter of a few hours, right?"

She got up and with an awkward expression on her face, she made her way out of the living room.

"I can't believe it. You got her to come with us in what? 5 minutes?", Stacie looked astonished.

"What can I say, I'm pretty good at convincing people. Maybe I should major in Law instead of Literature."

Stacie's expression shifted and a smirk appeared on her face. She exchanged a look with both Cynthia Rose and Jessica, who had been watching until that moment.  
"And also, do you mind telling us what was that about?"

"What was what about?", she replied keeping an innocent face on.

"Your little flirtation with Shortstack of a minute ago."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was just trying to convince her to travel by plane and avoid us a huge problem", she said smiling widely as if nothing happened.

"Uh-uh", she eyed her suspiciously, "I'm not buying it. Something's up, shoot."

Chloe opened her mouth to object but closed it right away because of the glare Stacie shot her. She sighed and rested her head against the back of the couch, closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath.

"..I enjoy her company", she whispered checking the entrances to see if someone was about to come in.

Stacie let out a loud 'yes', while Cynthia Rose groaned. "I knew it. Pay up, bitches! You owe me quite some bucks."

"It's not it, yet! There's the second part."

"Wait- what? Someone cares to explain what's going on here?", Chloe crossed her arms and furrowed her brow, glaring at the fellow Bellas.

"We may or may not have a bet going about your possible crush on Beca and viceversa", CR explained tentatively with a guilty expression on her face.

"You did not- and what's the second part you were talking about?"

"..either one of you acting upon it sooner or later?"

While Stacie had a wide grin on, CR looked more like she was now scared of the redhead. Especially since said redhead did not respond right away. She looked pensive at first, then she looked directly at the girls in front of her and opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it right away.

Stacie eyes grew wider. "Oh my god, you really do have a _huge_ crush on her! And do not give me that 'I enjoy her company' bullshit, Beale. We have to do something about this."

"Will you keep quiet, please?! There's no need to shout it out loud! We are not alone here", she said trying to muffle her voice as much as possible. "And _we_ don't have to do anything about it. I don't even know if _I_ will do something about it."

All three girls looked at her surprised, without saying a word.

"What?", but none of them answered. Not verbally. Their looks were quite eloquent, though, and Chloe noticed.

"You can't be serious", she started, "Beca is my best friend and I absolutely won't put that friendship at risk by telling her that I have feelings for her when said feelings are surely not even returned!"

"And who said they are not returned, Red?", Stacie injected. "Maybe you haven't noticed Beca's reaction a few minutes ago, because she _froze_ when you got near her."

CR and Jessica nodded in agreement, "It's true, Chloe. She was paralyzed, literally. That's what made it fun, tbh. I've never seen Beca _that_ flustered", CR added with a smile.

Chloe found herself smiling thinking about it. Beca did freeze before, but Chloe had assumed it was because she wasn't used to people invading her personal space and not because she might have similar feelings to Chloe's. The thought alone made Chloe's chest tighten, hope bursting through her like a tidal wave causing her to smile even more widely.

"Chlo? Chlo, you zoned out", CR said snapping her fingers in front of the redhead. Chloe shook her head, realizing she had drifted away for a couple of minutes.

Stacie smirked at her, "Gee, you are so into her! You spent the last few minutes reveling in the possibility -more than just 'possibility', but anyway- of her returning your feelings!"

"Uh, shut up- I'll think about it, okay? Just leave it for now, you all."

Chloe started to make her way to her stairs, heading to her bedroom. "And stop with the bets!", she yelled over her shoulder trying to sound as much threatening as possible, although she couldn't stop a wide smile from appearing on her face.

She could hear the three Bellas chuckling and she was pretty sure she heard a highfive.

Beca in the meantime had not fully recovered from the weird exchange she had had with Chloe minutes before. Chloe, her best friend. Her gorgeous, solar, fun, perfect and caring best friend, the one whose face beams when she's happy and whose smile could make Beca's legs go weak and Beca's brain melt in a blink of an eye. Chloe, with her red hair and amazing shockingly blue eyes and body that-

 _Stop it. She's your best friend._ But best friends can appreciate each other's features and qualities like this, right? Even though that very best friend was one of the main causes of her break up with Jesse.

She rapidly shook the thoughts off her head and headed out of the bathroom, only to run into what looked like an overly-happy Chloe.

"Hey Beca, I just wanted to tell you that if you really don't want to travel by plane, we can work something else out. I don't want to force you if you feel too uncomfortable, you know". She looked straight at Beca, with such a pure expression of joy on her face that made it almost impossible to the tiny DJ to refuse the redhead anything.

"It's cool, Chlo. Really, you don't have to worry. I'll be fine, or I'll manage at least."

Chloe smile grew wider as she pulled Beca into a hug. Both girls took their time before releasing the other, both too lost in each other's scent to realize that they had prolonged the hug over the friendly-standard-duration.

"Okay, then pack your stuff" Chloe disentangled herself from the hug, "we're leaving tomorrow morning and we both know that getting ready in time is not your forte".

Chloe winked at Beca and slapped her lightly on her hip before walking to her own bedroom, leaving the DJ standing frozen in the middle of the corridor. _Again._

While walking away, Chloe noticed the reaction she pulled from Beca and the flustered expression now reigning on her face and made a mental note to put all of herself into making the younger girl look that way any time she could.

"Beca, what the hell! We are gonna be late! If we miss the flight because of you, I swear I will make you regret to be born!"

"A bit harsh maybe, Stacie?"

"Shut it, you'd be yelling too if this wasn't about your incredibly small girlfriend, which will suffer _so much_ if she doesn't come down in 2 minutes!", she increased the volume of her voice in the second part of the sentence so that she could be heard even from upstairs.

"Stop it!", Chloe slapped Stacie on the arm muffling her voice while speaking to the taller girl, "she's not my girlfriend! And if you yell, she won't get ready any faster". Chloe glared at Stacie, who was smirking at her so the threatening look Chloe tried to give her couldn't hold long and softened in an instant.

Chloe groaned and rolled her eyes. How come she couldn't stay mad at anyone?  
That moment Beca stumbled out of the door, dragging roughly her bag behind her and almost tripping over herself going down the steps.

" _Finally_ , Munchkin! We have to hurry! Come on girls, let's move!"

It was noon when they arrived at JFK airport in New York, they rented a truck and started the drive to their hotel that was supposed to last about forty-five minutes. After putting all the bags in the trunk, Amy positioned herself in the driver's seat and they took off.

Once at the hotel, everyone went to the check in desk, while Beca was put on what CR called "bag duties" since she was late that morning.

"You were late, you get punished by getting the bags out of the truck and take them inside."

"What? Dude, it's like 10 bags! 10 _heavy_ bags, and in case you haven't noticed they are probably heavier than me!"

"I'll help you out, Becs", Chloe offered with a wink that made Beca blush and moving right away to take a bag out of the trunk.

"See? You even get help. Stop complaining now", CR added grinning, then turned around and headed to the hall.

Once every baggage was taken care of, Beca and Chloe walked up to the rest of the Bellas, who were now chatting among each other. When Amy saw the two approaching, her expression shifted and a smirk appeared.

"Hey pitches! While we were waiting for you -again, I might add- we sorted things out about the rooms. And since you are the last ones, you will room together."

Chloe noticed that along with Amy, all the other Bellas were smirking. She narrowed her eyes and shot dagger looks at Stacie, because it was as sure as hell that she was the mind behind all of this. Chloe mouthed "you're dead", still looking at the taller woman, and then wiped her expression so that Beca wouldn't notice anything weird going on, she hoped.

The girls grabbed their stuff and headed each couple for their room.  
When Chloe opened Beca's and her room door, her eyes widened at the sight of a queen size bed. The only bed in the room. That she would have to share with Beca.

By the look on Beca's face -resembling a ghost-, she had had similar thoughts.

It would be two long nights.


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay, I think we have some time before lunch. Stacie said something about meeting down in the hall at 1:30 pm, so we still have an hour left. I think I'll have a shower..?"

Beca looked up from her bag and waved a hand smiling at the redhead, "Sure, I'll finish putting things in order and then maybe I'll work a bit on my mixes."

"Good", the redhead picked up her things and was about to step into the bathroom but then an idea popped into her mind and she smiled to herself. She took a step back and went to the drawer that had a mirror above it, then started to take her clothes off. Every now in then she glanced at the mirror, where she could see Beca on the other side of the room.

The DJ was clearly trying not to stare, and kept her eyes fixed on the bag in front of her although she was blushing hard. Her cheeks were now bright red, as well as her neck and ears. The reaction made Chloe grin widely as she removed her shorts and tank top, standing now in her underwear.

Beca seemed to be furiously looking for something in her bag now but she raised her eyes for less than a second, looking in the mirror and locking eyes with Chloe. Even more embarrassed, she returned to her things. On the other hand Chloe proceeded to slowly remove her bra and then, even more slowly, her matching black lace panties. She didn't look in the mirror now but she felt Beca's eyes on her. She grinned to herself and slowly moved to grab her towel and wrap it around her body.

Chloe turned around to find Beca with her eyes wide and her jaw slightly dropped. The redhead pretended not to notice, and made her way to the bathroom as if nothing weird had happened. Maybe, just maybe, Stacie was right. Maybe Beca really had feelings for her, too.

Beca visibly gulped. Things were getting weirder and weirder between them and she started to think that Chloe knew about how she felt, although now Beca suspected that those feelings were returned. Just thinking about it, she felt lighter and somehow happy.

The redhead was going to be the death of her, though, if she continued acting like this, all sexy and seductive and flirtatious and provocative. No, Beca definitely couldn't put up with this much longer. Not without a drink, which hopefully she would get tomorrow night after the ICCA's.

Beca inhaled deeply and after taking her laptop out of her bag, she went through the set list and checked if everything was alright for their performance. She didn't acknowledge that Chloe was in the meantime done with the shower and had come back into the bedroom, again wrapped in a towel. The heat of the shower had caused her cheeks to redden and therefore highlight the bright blue eyes, sparkling and beaming like always.

When Beca raised her head from her laptop screen, she took many seconds to take in all the beauty standing a few feet away from her. Beca's mouth dried in an instant and her eyes glued to every inch of that perfect body. Things got even worse when the towel was dropped and in a matter of seconds the only things covering Chloe were her panties and her bra. Since she was technically not naked, Chloe didn't bother putting clothes on for a while.

Beca's mind started working furiously, especially after the wink Chloe sent her way at some point in this. Or after she heard Chloe starting to sing Nelly's _Hot in herre_.

That was the last drop for Beca, who needed to get out of that room before bursting into pieces or melting down, although she was pretty sure her brain was already pretty damaged from the sights she had been witnessing the last few hours.

Beca got up quickly and after muttering something about going downstairs in the all to see if the other girls were already there, she bolted to the door and out in the corridor. Left alone, Chloe smiled to herself for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. They were getting somewhere, she thought. There had been signs before, but only now she could read them well, and knowing what they meant gave the redhead a boost of confidence and energy that she was going to put to good use.

Lunch went by smooth and without accidents, although a few looks were exchanged between the two captains.  
The afternoon rolled by as well. They went downtown shopping and then rested a while in a café, before going back to the hotel. In a blink of an eye it was already night and the Bellas decided to go to sleep early right after dinner in order to be well rested for the competition the following day.

After saying the goodnights, they headed back to the rooms.

"Hey Becs"

"Mmmh?"

"Are you tired?"

"Not really.. movie? I bet you brought an entire collection with you", she added with a smile.

"Damn right", she flashed a grin towards the DJ and reached for her bag, taking out a pile of DVDs that made Beca go pale.

"Please tell me you're not going to make me watch all of those."

"Don't worry, I brought only movies that I know you can bare until the end."

Beca groaned loudly, hopped on the bed and buried her face in one of the pillow.

"Oh stop it. I know you secretly love watching movies with me."

"Mmm _that_ I can't deny, you sure make it easier to stay awake with your comments to every scene or action."

Beca tried to sound as annoyed as possible but failed miserably after one single glance at Chloe, with her perfect smile and adorable features that made Beca's heart melt in her chest. Again. While Chloe was setting the laptop on the bed and put the DVD -she opted for a musical, hoping that the presence of songs and music could

keep the tiny girl actually focused on the movie or at least awake-, Beca quickly changed into her pajamas -shorts and a BU tank top- and got ready for the night in the bathroom. They settled on the bed with the laptop at the end of the bed and as usual they scooted and gravitated toward each other so that their shoulders, arms, hips and thighs were pressed together.

It was so natural for them, that they didn't even notice how close they were. Even when they did notice, they simply didn't care, both enjoying the warmth of their bodies and the comfort they felt.

It felt like home and not for a second they were embarrassed this time.

They watched the film while surrounded by a peaceful and warm atmosphere. Chloe commented the funniest scenes or she highlighted some details she particularly enjoyed, and Beca had to admit that she wasn't even suffering that much.

During the movie they both shifted several time to find more comfortable positions and ended up with their legs tangled as well as their arms. Their hands now clasped together, Chloe's thumb drawing light patterns on the back of Beca's hand.

Beca smiled to Chloe when the redhead started to play with her fingers absent-mindedly and when Chloe returned the smile and Beca could swear it was emanating pure bright light that lit the room.

"I missed this."

It was almost a whisper but Chloe heard it clearly. Her smile broadened.

"We have movie night once a week, Becs."

"I know. I just like relaxing like this. You know, without the Bellas yelling and fighting and singing aloud at any time of the day."

"I thought you didn't really like movies, though."

"I don't."

 _I like you_. The words remained hanging in the air between them, but Chloe knew what Beca meant.

Chloe leaned in and gave the DJ a light kiss on the cheek, dangerously near her mouth, and then rested her head on Beca's shoulder sighing content. They finished the movie in silence and before they could acknowledge, the titles were rolling. Beca didn't pay attention to the last part of the movie, though, her mind was far away. She couldn't stop thinking about the shiver that ran through her when the redhead placed that kiss on her cheek. The tiny DJ was sure there was something behind it, she _felt_ it. The unspoken words behind that simple innocent kiss were printed in fire in Beca's mind and needless to say, she couldn't be happier.  
Chloe couldn't hold back a yawn and scooted closer to Beca, nuzzling against her neck.

"Come on, let's get in bed before you fall asleep", Beca said tugging at Chloe's arm to get her up.

Beca put away the laptop and then they slipped under the covers, automatically getting closer and intertwining their fingers. Chloe put her head on Beca's shoulder and flushed her body against the DJ's.

Beca smiled and kissed the top of Chloe's head. "Goodnight, Red"  
What she got in returned was a mumble, the redhead already drifting away in her sleep, her breath already even.

It wasn't the alarm clock to wake Beca up, but the sunbeams of the early morning passing through the curtains. She tried to sit up but she found herself blocked by something. _Someone._ She turned her head only to see the most beautiful creature lying beside her, with her arm wrapped around Beca's waist and her head peacefully resting on the pillow where her red hair was splayed. Beca couldn't help comparing her to an angel, with the smile always present even while sleeping.

Beca reached out and moved a curl of red hair away from Chloe's face, trying to be as silent and gentle as possible so that she wouldn't wake the girl up, then she delicately brushed her fingers against Chloe's cheek, resting her hand there for a brief moment.

The touch was enough to wake her, though. Chloe groaned lightly and shifted closer to Beca, burying her face deeper in the DJ's neck so that her lips were brushing against the soft skin while her forehead was pressed against Beca's jaw.

When Chloe realized where she was lying, her eyes shot open and her cheek colored of a bright red that could even match her hair. She started to move to put some distance between Beca and her, thinking that the tiny girl was bothered by her closeness but all of a sudden she felt Beca's hand wrapping around her wrist to prevent her from moving.

"Stay", she said looking into the now confused piercing blue eyes, "It's comfortable. It's nice. Well, unless- unless _you_ don't feel comfortable." Hey body tensed and Chloe felt it. _Maybe I've overstepped_ , Beca thought. They weren't _that_ close even as friends to say such things.

"I mean- ", she continued, "It feels good and warm but I understand if-"

Her sentence was interrupted midway when Chloe moved closer, if it was even possible, to Beca. The arm she had placed around the DJ's waist pulled the girl closer and tighter. "It's okay for me. I like this, too".

Beca could feel the redhead smile against the skin of her neck and couldn't hold a smile herself. They stayed like that for a while. Beca playing with Chloe's red locks of hair, Chloe drawing light patterns on the exposed skin right above the hem of Beca's shorts, shooting shivers through the little DJ's body every time the feather-like touches brushed against the skin a bit harder.

They both felt so content, happy, relaxed, but they both knew that couldn't last unless they actually talked about what was happening. They both knew they were far beyond the friendly behavior. They both knew what was the other's feeling. They both knew it all, but now they were in their little bubble, not in the real world, and not saying anything meant that in the real world that wouldn't mean anything.

Feelings and intentions were two different things. They were very much different, but Beca knew in her case they matched. She wanted Chloe, flesh and soul, because Chloe already had her heart and soul.

There were so many thought clouding Beca's mind, but she'd be damned if she let Chloe go without getting things straight with her. She opened her mouth to start the infamous conversation, when her phone rang. _Of course it did_.

She cursed under her breath, increasing the volume of her voice when she saw the caller ID. She sat up, earning a groan from Chloe that calmed her down a little bit because seriously, who could be so adorable when acting annoyed?

"Stacie what the hell?!"

 _"Beca where the hell are you and Chloe?!"_

"We're in our room, why? It's like 6am, give me a break!"

 _"It's not 6am, Beca! It's almost 10! I don't know if your alarm clock doesn't work or what, but you two better be down in the hall in 5 minutes, or I swear I'll-"_

"I got it Stacie! We'll be there in a sec, just chill dude."

Beca ended the call and dropped herself back on the bed, closed her eyes and breathed loudly and heavily. Chloe scooted instantly closer to her.

"We have to go downstairs. I didn't even notice that it was so late. I swear, one second was dawn and now-"

Chloe sat up on the bed, yawned and smiled silly at Beca. She then got up and started tugging the other girl to get her up, obtaining only groans for a while from the brunette but in the end managing to get her to stand from the bed.

They were ready to go in 15 minutes, which was kind of a record for them both, and then headed downstairs. Not Chloe nor Beca complained when their hands found each other and intertwined. And not Chloe nor Beca brought up what was just about to happen just before Stacie's call. It was a conversation for another time, but Beca's mind was set on having that talk and she would do that before the end of that day, if it was the last thing she'd do.


	3. Chapter 3

If the Bellas noticed Chloe's and Beca's hands clasped together as they made their way through the hall, they didn't say anything about it. They all exchanged looks because it was clear that something was up, but since not the redhead nor the DJ said a word about it, they didn't push it.

Stacie seemed to be the nervous one of the group especially the days right before the competitions and the day of the competition she was almost impossible to be put up to. She made everyone practice the choreography over and over and made Beca check the set list and the tracks as well. They had chosen songs of different genres, meaning pop, rock and hip hop. They were going to kill it and they all knew it but everything had to be perfect if they actually wanted to win.

If you asked the DJ, she would tell you that she didn't know _how_ she managed to get through the day without chocking the taller girl. But after all she did know what helped her control herself and of course it involved a very pretty girl with bright red hair and sparkly blue eyes. Eyes that, more often than what she intended, shot looks at Beca and made the muscles of her entire body relax in less than a second.

All the groups were supposed to go to Lincoln Center at 7pm, the competition starting at 7:30pm, so they had still five hours to get some rest and get ready after finishing rehearsal.

Some of the Bellas, including Amy, Stacie and Flo, opted for spending some time in the city center to go shopping, promising they'd be back in time for the ICCA's.

Chloe, Beca and the other girls left decided to stay in the hotel and relaxed in the recreational part of the building, which offered pool game, bowling and a café. They played a couple of games of pool and they headed to the tables to grab a coffee. Chloe sat next to Beca, to nobody's surprise, but what seemed to actually surprise everyone was how unconsciously closer and closer the two co-captains got as time passed. I mean, more than usual.

They laughed, they talked, they smiled. When it was time to get ready for the ICCA's, Chloe slipped her hand in Beca's, this one turning her head with a questioning look as if she was asking the redhead if she was sure about it. They had held hands before, even when they made their way to the hall earlier that morning, but it hadn't gone unnoticed by Beca that the others had that weird suspicious look on their faces and the DJ was maybe a bit concerned with what Chloe wanted from their relationship. _Maybe a lot concerned. If we could even call it a relationship,_ Beca thought.

Her worries disappeared when she looked into those beautiful shining eyes, filled with something that Beca could only translate as love. The tiny DJ's heart skipped a beat, her breath hitched in her throat and she stood still for a second before one of her most genuine smile made its way to her face. Beca was beaming and everyone could notice that from a mile distance. And that smile, that Beca so rarely wore and always reserved to Chloe, made the redhead fall for the brunette even harder.

They hadn't had the famous conversation that morning, but their last interaction was already a start and they both couldn't be happier for now.

Stacie, Amy and Flo were back already and after they all got changed, they headed to Lincoln Center together.

Chloe was visibly agitated. She had been chewing on her bottom lip from the second the girls got on the bus. She had been nervously playing with her necklace or fixing the hem and the sleeves of her shirt.

They were now in the dressing room behind the stage, being next to perform.

"Hey, Red."

Beca dropped herself on the chair next to Chloe, flashing her a warm and supportive smile. "Nervous?", she continued.

"Is it that obvious?", Chloe returned the smile with a worried yet doubtful one.

"A little". Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe a lot", Beca corrected herself grinning. "But you're adorable when you're anxious."

A genuine smile appeared on the redhead's face, while Beca's eyes opened widely.

"I didn't- I didn't mean to say it. Out loud." Beca was now blushing hard, but that only made Chloe smile broaden. Her fears wiped away at least for a while.

She reached out and took Beca's hands in hers. "I'm glad you said it out loud. Although I have to say I'm surprised. Public compliments? That's new from you, Becs." Chloe winked and smiled mischievously.

Beca blushed harder trying to put together words that could actually make sense.

"Becs. Becs. Breathe. You're supposed to cool me down, not freak out yourself!", the redhead chuckled. Luckily that was enough to bring Beca back to normal. _I really need to stop zoning out every time she flirts. Or is takes my hand. Or smiles at me. Gee, I'm a goner._

Beca gently squeezed Chloe's hand, giving her an enamored smile and after an instant Chloe's grin was matching hers. _Yup._ _Definitely a goner._

They spent what felt like hours staring lovingly at each other. Bright blue melt with blue navy, their hands still joint together as Chloe's thumb rubbed circles on the back of Beca's hand. It was the speaker that brought them back to reality, making them acknowledge that they were actually not alone there. Not that they cared, honestly. They were the next group performing, though, so they had to approach the side of the stage within a few minutes now.

Reluctantly the two captains broke the intense moment of staring, but before they disentangled their hands and got up, Chloe leaned forward and placed a soft kiss at the corner of the DJ's mouth, lingering there for a second and then pulling slightly back.

The instant her lips brushed against the soft white skin, a shiver ran along Beca's back and she smiled widely with her eyes squeezed shut. Chloe didn't pull all the way back, though, and locked eyes with Beca whose face was now only utmost a couple of inches away from Chloe's.

"We have to go find the others."

"Yeah. We do."

Neither of them seemed to want to actually stand up, but after sighing loudly Beca stood and tugged at Chloe's hand to make the girl get up from the chair. The brunette squeezed the redhead's hand, giving her another quick knowing gaze before making their way together to the Bellas.

They were about to go on stage, when Chloe locked eyes with her co-captain, mouthing a "good luck" and sending a wink her way. Beca looked around, looking if the other Bellas were all already walking to the stage, then moved quickly next to Chloe and leaning closer to the redhead's ear and whispering "We're gonna win this, although I know I have already won."

She then kissed Chloe's cheek and rushed onto the stage, taking her place among her "sisters".

They won. They out-performed the other groups, including the Treblemakers. When the judges announced the winner, nothing could stop Fat Amy from jumping on the stage -literally, she _jumped_ her way to the stage at a speed nobody thought was humanly possible-. The other Bellas followed right after her, walking through a cheering and clapping crowd. Some of the spectator shook their hands in passing while a chant of "Bellas!" filled the air.

The two captains were right next to Amy, who was now holding the trophy above her head, yelling something about how she managed to wrestle multiple crocodiles and so she _had_ to win this championship. That made the Bellas laugh out loud, although some other people who heard the Aussie were now wearing confused looks.

 _Three championships. Three!_

"Alright nerds, listen up! Tonight, we celebrate!", she yelled at the girls once in the backstage. "And I might regret this later, but first round of drinks is on me!", she continued, getting a loud cheer in return that almost broke through her eardrum.

"Tequila shots, everyone. Mandatory! You can't refuse such a wonderful way to start off the night. And _no_ , Beca, these don't count as a drink. Although _yes,_ you are still paying for them. Think of it as Bellas-bonding stuff."

Amy stated the very second they stepped inside the bar. Beca rolled her eyes but silently agreed with the Aussie. After all it was a night of celebration, she could manage to buy her best friends a drink. She dropped herself on one of the chair of the table the girls had chosen and Chloe sat next to her, their arms brushing against one another when she squeezed closer to make room for Stacie to sit next to her. At the contact with the skin, a warm shiver ran through Beca's body, that tensed a little getting the attention of the redhead who turned towards the DJ with one of the widest smirk Beca had ever seen.

"You okay there?", Chloe whispered in her ear not losing the grin.

Beca nodded, "Sure thing. I'm perfectly fine-", she interrupted abruptly when she felt Chloe's fingers lightly touching her inner thigh and softly rubbing circles on the sensitive skin. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened when she looked astonished at the redhead next to her -now incredibly close- and with her jaw dropped open.

"What are you doing?", Beca hissed but couldn't help the ghost of a smile to pop on her face.

"We're bonding, like Amy said. You seem so tense, do you want a rub?", Chloe said pushing her hand up further on the inside of the DJ's thigh. Beca instantly froze and blushed so hard that her cheeks were now of a vivid glowing red. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything here, we're still very far from _that_ ", she then whispered as her fingers resumed drawing patterns and circles on the sensitive skin. She turned her attention to the Bellas, joining in a conversation about the other groups' performances at the ICCAs as if nothing weird was happening under the table with Beca, who was still shocked and unable to distract her attention from the light touches on her thigh.

The shots arrived shortly after and after a toast to the Bellas, they downed them quickly except of course for the two captains. The two girls locked eyes for a second, then raised the small glasses and clinked them. "To us".

"To us."

The alcohol burned down their throats, as they threw back the shots. The others had already moved to another subject but the two captains still had their eyes locked with each other. They were like studying each other, taking in every inch of skin, every little detail. Their eyes roamed on the other's face for what felt like a second. Chloe's hand had long stopped moving but was still rested on Beca's thigh. It wasn't until Amy spoke to them that they realized where they where and with whom,

"Not to stop your eye sex session, but we're ordering the drinks and you two need to tell us what you want. And _yes_ , Beca, you have to hand me your wallet."

The two snapped out of the trance they were in at the sound of the fellow Bella's voice. Beca blushed for what seemed to be the 100th time that day and snorted loudly before giving the Aussie the money for the drinks.

Chloe on the other hand seemed pretty comfortable with the whole situation, she giggled and winked at Beca before turning her head to the other girls and joining in the conversation. How the redhead managed to act so natural after such embarrassing moments, Beca will never know.

The night went by easily -and honestly far too quickly, if you asked Beca- with frequent smiles, looks and light brushes of arms and hands every now in then. They decided to call it a night after the 6th round of drinks when Stacie decided it was a good idea to strip to her underwear and jumped on the little stage where the karaoke was and started fooling around with the guy working there. Not that he minded, of course.

After dragging Stacie off the stage -and above all off the boy- and making her wear something more than just undergarments, they headed all back to the hotel. While CR and Jessica tried to keep Stacie standing and slowly walked -more like stumbled- on the way to the house, Chloe grabbed a hold of Beca's hand. They shared small smiles while walking, every now in then glancing up from the sidewalk. They talked about the night, about the victory, about anything that popped into their minds, and it felt like the easiest thing ever.

The two were quite intoxicated themselves, but managed to get to the hotel hall without falling face first on the ground, although Beca defied gravity a couple of times managing to literally trip over herself. They quickly said goodbyes and everyone headed to their rooms. Chloe was now leaning on Beca, their arms intertwined, giggling her way to the room because of how clumsy the two captains were being, barely holding it together.

The second Beca managed to put the key in the door lock and open it, Chloe bolted to the bed scattering around clothes and heels on the way and falling face down on the soft sheets. She then scooted and moved under the covers, turning on her side to face Beca, who was still standing near the now closed door.

"C'mere.", the redhead muttered patting the spot on the bed next to her.

Beca looked at her with dreamy eyes and a big smile, then moved to take of her clothes and slipped under the covers with Chloe. As usual, they moved closer until their foreheads were almost touching, a few inches separating their faces.

Beca could feel Chloe's breath on her skin and shivers ran along her back up to the back of her neck. She locked eyes with Chloe. Even in the dark of the room, she could see a glimpse in the gorgeous blue eyes that made her want to close the already small distance and kiss the redhead. She managed, though, to clear her mind a bit and regain a bit of self-control, drawing in a deep breath and lightly sighing, "We have to talk about this".

"Yeah. We have."

Chloe's fingers ghosted on the DJ's cheek, tracing the line of her cheek bone and then moving down to trail the jaw. Beca's eyes fluttered shut as she felt Chloe's face even closer to hers. When she reopened them, she found that same pair of outstanding eyes looking at her with an expression that Beca could only read as a question. A question that was silently asked again when the redhead's eyes darted down to the DJ's lips, only to climb up again an instant later.

"We really have."

It happened in an instant. The hand tracing Beca's skin cupped her face and pulled her slightly closer to Chloe, who leaned in and pressed her lips against Beca's. It was warm, it was soft, it was loving and it ended soon, when Chloe pulled back only a couple of inches to scout the tiny DJ's face for a negative reaction. She barely had time to reopen her eyes, though, as Beca eagerly joined their mouths together again tilting her head to the side and flushing her body against Chloe's completely.

Her hand moved instantly to the redhead's hip, pulling her closer, while Chloe's hand slipped behind Beca's neck with the same purpose.  
The kiss that was soft and gentle not a minute ago, was now much more heated and passionate, rough and extremely liberating. What the two had bottled up in the past months, _years_ even, bursted open and free hitting them both with incredible strength.

The kiss deepened as Beca bit down on Chloe's bottom lip and then soothed it with her tongue, drawing a low moan out of the redhead who parted her lips to let the brunette in. Their tongues clashed and it felt like electricity was running through their bodies. They battled for dominance, winning one second and losing the following one. Beca's hand was pressing on the hot skin of the redhead's lower back, climbing up bit by bit until it hit the bra and promptly slid under it to touch the soft skin. Chloe shuddered under the touch and another moan escaped her lips before she could hold it back. The redhead's hand moved to the side of Beca's neck, scratching the skin before moving down, ghosting over the DJ's breasts before continuing the trip down and then digging her nails into the sensitive skin over her stomach and side.

It was now Beca's turn to moan, breaking the kiss to draw in a quick breath. Chloe took advantage of the distraction to move to Beca's neck and started to alternate soft kisses to small bites to rapid licks with her tongue to soothe the bruises already forming on the pale skin. The redhead's hand moved up again and cupped the DJ's breast, causing the younger girl to dig her fingers in Chloe's shoulder.

They went on like this for a while. Panting, moaning, exploring each others' bodies. It was the alarm clock that stroke 3am with a beep that brought them back to reality. They broke the kiss, stopped the movements with the hands, and pulled away slightly. They were still so close that their noses were brushing as well as their lips. Chloe hadn't opened her eyes yet, almost afraid to see some sort of regret in Beca's eyes, which Chloe felt staring at her and boring a hole into her.

Opening her eyes might ruin everything. Beca would run away because of what happened, because it was just the spur of the moment, the alcohol. She would lose her best friend. Useless to say that Beca's worries were pretty much the same, the only difference being that Beca needed to see those eyes and see what Chloe felt about it. She couldn't hide, she needed to know if it was too much for her. That urge was what made her raise her hand and cup Chloe's jaw, as a way to make the redhead open her eyes.

She eventually did and the sight made Beca's eyes fill with panic. The usually beaming and cheerful bright blue eyes were now misty and teary. Beca tensed instantly but didn't move. She waited. She waited for her best friend to say something, because she just couldn't form a single word and let it out of her mouth without having tears forming in her own eyes.

"Are you going to run?"

It was a whisper, barely audible, but it felt like thunder to Beca. The brunette sighed -almost relieved- smiled broadly, her whole body relaxing.

"I will never run from you. I'll be here for as long as you want me."

Tears started falling from Chloe's eyes, tears that Beca promptly kissed away. The DJ hugged Chloe as hard as she could, keeping her so near that their bodies seemed to melt into one again. The redhead tucked her head under Beca's chin, leaning her forehead on the girl's chest. The sobbing gradually stopped many minutes later and the breaths evened, meaning that Chloe had fallen asleep in the DJ's arms.

 _I could get used to this_ , Beca thought, although the image of Chloe crying was still burned into her mind. _I'll do anything I can to have her beautiful smile again on her face. Anything, not to have her wrecked like this again especially because of me._

She gently pulled the girl even closer, as if to protect her. And it was with Chloe in her arms that she fell asleep, never letting go of her and hoping to never have to.


	4. Chapter 4

The same way Beca and Chloe had fallen asleep, they woke up the next morning which unfortunately meant they only got 5 hours of sleep after having drunk an amount of alcohol that could knock out a horse. Chloe was the first to wake, finding herself completely blocked by Beca. She was curled in a ball against the brunette, who had her arms draped over Chloe, while their legs were intertwined.

Locks of brown hair were tickling her face, but she wouldn't move. From where she laid she could smell the exquisite and familiar perfume emanating from Beca.  
She could stay like this forever. Cuddling, even if it could appear embarrassing since they had stripped down to the underwear the previous night, was something that not Chloe nor Beca would ever get tired of. Even if Beca would deny it if asked.

Chloe nuzzled against Beca's neck, as a way to gently wake the girl. Beca groaned and stretched a bit, then hugged the redhead unconsciously tighter. They stayed like this for a while, content and carefree in the limbo between sleep and wake.

With a loud sigh, Beca pulled away from Chloe after a while and gently stroke her red hair while looking at her with sleepy eyes. "Hey", she mumbled with a smile.

"Hey", Chloe looked up into the navy blue eyes, "good morning."

They stared at each other, dumbly smiling and still sleepy. It seemed almost unreal what had happened and it was definitely scary how happy they both were but they both also knew they needed to talk. _Really_ talk this time so it was time to pop the big bubble around them. And it was Beca who started it, having her mind set on letting out everything that was on her mind.

"Not that I mind laying like this, because really I do, I really do. Like, _really._ Because, you know, I can't help feeling comfortable when you're around and sometimes even when you're just in the same room as me and I just feel lighter and happier and-", she swallowed hard, suddenly run out of air.

 _What the hell! I'm rumbling, I can't rumble right now. Get it together and breathe._

"-I mean, what I'm trying to say is- well, I think is safe to say that I- uhm, I really, _really_ enjoy spending time with you and -not that I don't like spending time with the other Bellas!- but you know, you-".

Beca groaned frustrated. She seriously considered fleeing through the window. Or digging a hole in the floor and hiding there for like, _ever._ She needed to do this, and she needed to do this right. So she closed her eyes, breathed deep and continued, this time more slowly and taking time every now in then to oxygenate her brain,

"What I am saying here is, I'm not going to run away and I can't even put into words what you mean to me. You know I'm not that much of a sociable person, I never was although I think I've made progress in the past years. But that progress has been possible only thanks to you", she looked straight into the bright blue eyes, "and if you want me by your side, I'll try to pay you back in any way I can."

Chloe looked at her in a way that almost scared Beca. She seemed pensive, but the bright smile that the girl was wearing was kind of confusing Beca. She knew of course that Chloe had feelings for her. Jeez, last night had been a clear example of it, but the silence between them was hard to decipher. For a moment, the eyes seemed to give a message, while the smile was giving the opposite message. It was frustrating to wait in such a state of confusion, until-

"I love you."

With three simple words Chloe had managed to express everything Beca was trying to say but hadn't had the courage to actually pronounce. Three simple words that made Beca's heart drop and her head spin around, her mouth go dry and her breath hitch in her throat. She stayed still, absorbing and processing, then smiled so widely that her cheek started hurting. "You do?", her voice cracked because of the lump in her throat.

Chloe took a second to look at Beca. She looked so small - _no_ , it wasn't meant as a joke- and fragile and so happy that the redhead's heart hurt and her chest tightened. In response to the whispered question, Chloe leaned forward and gently pressed her lips on Beca's. The kiss ended quickly, Beca pulling away while stroking Chloe's cheek and staring into the sky blue eyes. "I love you too".  
The very second she pronounced the last word, Chloe's mouth was on hers again. They both melted into the kiss, which turned hot after a few seconds and tongues began to fight for dominance like they did the previous night.

When Beca felt Chloe's hand rising along her side and brushing against her arm before nearing the breast, the DJ shot up and put a distance between her and the bed with the gorgeous redhead on it. A redhead who was now wearing one of her most confused and frustrated face that Beca had ever seen on her and Beca could stop a chuckle before it slipped out of her mouth.

Chloe frowned and sit up on the bed, looking straight at Beca trying to look annoyed but failing once seen the beaming smile on the younger girl's face. The brunette laughed when Chloe pouted still waiting for an answer to the question she had asked silently through her facial expression. The pout made Beca laugh even harder.

"I'm sorry Chlo, it's just- we are just _so_ late already and if we started now, I wouldn't be able to stop for sure and next scene we'd have Stacie bursting through the door yelling at us for making everyone miss the plane home and then probably making jokes about you know- what we were doing and she'd never let us live it down.", she explained never losing the bright smile that was so unusual on her face and that she reserved for Chloe and Chloe only. "I'm already seeing the scene actually", she added suddenly reflective.

Chloe giggled and Beca swore it was the best sound she'd ever heard. The redhead smiled mindlessly again and walked up to the DJ, wrapping her arms around the waist.

"Then- ", she said leaning in extremely slowly causing Beca's body to tense in anticipation, "- we have to get ready". When she was closer than an inch to Beca's mouth, she feinted and kissed the brunette's cheek before pulling out of the embrace and walking into the bathroom.

She could hear Beca groaning from behind her shoulder, " _That_ was _so_ not fair!".

That day she just couldn't stop smiling.

The flight back home was uneventful. Beca had slept during the entire length of it, her head leaned on Chloe's shoulder, even drooling at some point, something that Chloe wasn't going to stop making fun of her for. Weird how her fear of flying from only a few days previous had completely vanished thanks to the comfort Chloe emanated when she was simply near her.

At the airport in Atlanta, they jumped in the Bellas' bus and in less than half an hour they were finally home. Beca, albeit having slept several hours already, dropped herself facedown on the bed the second she entered her room. She felt tired and still hungover from the previous night but the instant she hit the mattress with the intent to sleep, her eyes shot open and her mind seemed to refuse categorically to drift off to sleep.

Something was missing and it was pretty obvious what it was.

Almost unconsciously Beca got up and in a sec she found herself outside Chloe's room. She breathed deep still deciding what to do. _Fuck Hamlet, the real question is 'to enter the room or not to enter the room?'_

Overthinking wasn't getting her anywhere useful, though, so she just acted. Chloe's room had always been way much tidier then Beca's, which always had clothes scattered around and bed and desk were almost impossible to see because of all the things on them.

Chloe was singing while tidying, although Beca couldn't understand _what_ she could tidy. Everything was freaking perfect in that room. The redhead hadn't noticed the DJ yet, and Beca decided to take 'advantage' of that.

She closed the door as quietly as possible, then sneaked behind the girl wrapping her arms tight around her middle. The redhead gasped and jumped startled, but Beca placed then feather-like kisses on the back of Chloe's neck, causing her to let out a low moan.

 _I should make startling Chloe a habit, this is just priceless,_ Beca thought amused.

Chloe turned around and quickly reached behind Beca's neck to pull her close and kiss her. Their foreheads rested against each other.

"I'm so _so_ tired, but-", Beca bit down on her bottom lip, "-I feel like I can't really sleep alone, you know?"

She was slightly blushing, still unaccustomed to being so forward with people, even if the person in question is Chloe. On the other hand, the redhead was all but embarrassed and after giving a peck on the brunette's lips, she disentangled herself from the hug and tugged at Beca's hand, pulling her toward the bed. She laid down on her back, pulling Beca next to her making her lean the head on the redhead's shoulder. "Then, sleep here now", she said kissing the top of Beca's head.

Chloe's hand brushed along Beca's arm and shoulder slowly, ghosting her fingers on the sensitive skin of the back of the arm every now in then. She alternated touching with her fingertips to softly scratching with the nails. It was meant as a movement to help the DJ sleep, but what it did was waking her even more. It shot shivers through Beca's body, which was tensing instead of relaxing, while her mind was focused on the spots hit by the redhead's fingers. _Of course I can't sleep when she does that._

It was when a low moan escaped her lips that she decided it was enough and she definitely couldn't stand it any longer. _She just can't keep doing this, I'm about to burst, for Christ's sake._

"You can't keep doing this, I'm about to burst!". _Wait, that was out loud._

Chloe laughed but didn't stop her hand, in fact she put more pressure into the movements. "Why, you sound like you're not enjoying this anyway", the whispered words in her ear made Beca shiver again and she honestly couldn't help feeling sudden warmth between her thighs which made her heart skip a beat. _Two can play this game._

"Never said I wasn't enjoying it, Red", she teased, "but I most certainly can't stay still if you keep doing it."

"Then don't be still", the redhead promptly responded and Beca could feel the smirk forming on the older girl's face even without looking at her.

Beca moved quickly to straddle Chloe's lap, putting one hand on either side of the girl's head to steady herself up. "You asked for it", she murmured before leaning down and claiming the redhead's lips. Beca felt Chloe's hand travel up her thighs, lingering on the spot where the thigh meets the butt and giving a gentle squeeze before moving up again and settling on the DJ's hips. Beca had her hands at the base of Chloe's neck, sometimes sneaking behind the neck to pull her closer and sometimes just enjoying the softness of the sensitive skin.

The kiss turned hot quickly, with Beca running her tongue on Chloe's lower lip asking for entrance and having it granted in less than a second. Their tongues clashed whilst exploring each other's mouths. Chloe's hands found their way up on Beca's back before moving to the front and resting on the stomach and inching up very slowly. When the redhead's fingers brushed against the bra, Beca moaned but the sound died in Chloe's mouth turning the girl on even more.

Chloe's hand cupped her breasts and squeezed them before pulling away -earning a groan from the brunette- but only to reach for the hem of Beca's shirt to take it off. With the shirt out of the way, Chloe moved her hands back to the younger girl's back and played with the hook of the bra. The redhead pulled out of the kiss to look into Beca's eyes, silently asking permission. As Beca nodded Chloe unhooked the bra, letting it then fall on the floor next to the bed. Chloe stayed still for a second taking in the sight, her eyes roaming on the small but perfect body in front of her.

Beca watched as the girl stared at her body in awe making the suddenly nervous DJ blush a little. Chloe's eyes then shifted from the body to the beautiful navy eyes, and all Beca could see in them was pure devotion and it made her heart burst in her chest vanishing the previous embarrassment. She leaned down again, this time needing roughness and passion, and sucked on Chloe's bottom lip and then moved to place kisses along the jaw and neck, nipping and soothing, leaving marks on the skin that was already bruising. The redhead was panting. It felt like the temperature had raised to 100 degrees all of sudden in the room, and Chloe wasn't the only one to feel it, since Beca had her hands at the hem of Chloe's shirt already pulling it up and out of the way. Her bra quickly followed.

The redhead grasped the brunette hips, pushing them down to get any kind of friction to ease the painful need in her crotch but ending up getting only even hungrier for contact. As the pressure increased, Beca bit down harder on Chloe's pulse point and dug her nails in the other girl's arm. The DJ's head moved then downwards kissing and nipping her way to the redhead's chest. She took a nipple in her mouth, feeling it hardening as she started sucking. Chloe's back arched right away and a loud moan was drawn out of her mouth.

 _Shit, the whole house must have heard this._

But the thought got washed away as another moan, this one more guttural and shaky, sounded in the room, making it impossible for Beca to find the will to stop. She instead bit down on the nub, before soothing and licking with a flick of her tongue. "Oh god, Beca."

"OH MY GOD!", Beca froze instantly. _Wait, I know that voice._

Both girls shot up and grabbed the first piece of cloth they could find to cover themselves from a not-so-shocked Stacie, who was standing beside Cynthia near the door wearing a shit-eating grin on her face. "I KNEW IT! I knew what I heard, I've got ear for this things Cynthia! I told you."

CR rolled her eyes at the taller girl, but she was showing a smirk matching Stacie's.

"Dude get out!", Beca yelled while throwing her shirt on faster than light. Her face was of a bright red that could be even redder than Chloe's hair.

"Alright alright, we're leaving. I'd ask you if you wanted to eat something since we're preparing lunch but I don't know if you've already eaten", Stacie teased and winked at the two captains.

"Stace, how can you say something like that?", Cynthia intervened serious.

"Thank you, CR!", Beca said thinking that maybe the intruders might have understood what was supposed to be the right behavior in certain cases.

"- _of course_ they haven't eaten yet! We busted them before they could get some action!", Cynthia Rose and Stacie both bursted out laughing to tears while Beca blushed harder and threw a pillow at them.

"Out. Now!", Beca bolted to the door to shut the two out.

"Okay okay! But _you_ ", Stacie said pointing her index finger at Chloe who was sitting casually on the bed with crossed legs, "-have to give me details about this. There's a lot of money at stake here."

The tall girl pointed two fingers at Chloe's eyes before moving said fingers to her own eyes as the _I'm-watching-you_ thing, before being definitely shut out of the room by Beca.

The brunette turned around astounded by what had just happened until it hit her.

"Did Stacie just say something about a bet?!"

Chloe chuckled lightly and nodded at the girl, "They had two bets going actually."

"Wait, you knew about this?!"

The redhead got up from the bed laughing, then walked up to Beca who was staring at her surprised but there was not a hint of anger, which made Chloe completely relax. "I _might_ have talked to some of the Bellas about what I felt the other morning after convincing you to take the plane to NY", she answered with a guilty look on her face that was dangerously turning into her puppy face and making Beca's heart melt.

The DJ stared at her for quite some time, trying to keep her angry-annoyed tone but when she saw the puppy face, she could only groan and let this go. A silly smile plastered on her face already. She rolled her eyes at the redhead and then crawled onto the bed before turning her head to Chloe again.

"What is it about?", she muttered knowing that she had lost this battle to a much too beaming Chloe. The redhead climbed on the bed and laid down leaning on her elbow and facing Beca.

"Well, the first bed was about the potential crushes we had on each other. They bet on the fact whether I was into you and viceversa. And the second bet was about who would make the first step, me or you."

She was absent-mindedly brushing her fingers along Beca's arm, not noticing the reaction she was getting from the girl. To Beca, it seemed like a déja-vu of half an hour ago. "Who's winning so far?"

"No idea. But I think Stacie was that happy for a reason. She has for sure won the first bet."

"But the second bet can't be won! It's not like one of us made the first step _clearly_."

"I'm pretty sure they'll find something else about this", Chloe said indicating the space between her and Beca, "to bet on."

Beca groaned and rolled over to her back. "You know they're never going to let us live it down, right? What we were doing when they walked in on us."

The redhead chuckled and scooted closer to Beca, hugging her waist, "Yeah, we should probably get ready to sneaky comments and teasing. But hey! Let's see the bright side, they'll only keep doing it for 20 years or so."

They both laughed before falling into a nice silence, until Beca laughed again.

"What's so funny?", Chloe asked confused but still smiling.

"Half of what I told you would have happened this morning if we had been late, _actually_ _happened._ Stacie bursted into the room and now she's gonna make fun of us for ages for what she saw."

Chloe's eyes widened and she started laughing again along with Beca. After a few minutes Chloe got up from the bed and tugged at Beca's hand to get her up, too. "Come on, I'm actually starting to get hungry. Let's head downstairs."

"Okay-", the DJ agreed fixing her shirt and turned her head back to the redhead waiting for her, "- but you might want to grab a scarf or, you know, your makeup stuff, or _anything_ actually."

"What, why?", she noted though that Beca was looking at her but not exactly at her face. Her eyes widened and she ran to the mirror checking out what was wrong and she gasped when she saw her neck. "Beca what the hell! These aren't hickeys! I look like I have been branded!"

She turned to the younger girl who looked like she was trying to suppress a laugh but seemed to be failing miserably. "AND DON'T YOU DARE LAUGH!", Chloe yelled. She threw daggers at her with her eyes, before going back to inspecting her neck. She sighed knowing there was no way the bruises could be covered completely.

"I am _so_ getting back at you for this", Chloe threatened but the puppy face mixed with happiness and amusement on Beca's face were already making the redhead smile. Beca walked up to her and put her arms around the girl's waist,

"I'm sorry..? I'll make it up to you."

"Nice try. I'm so getting payback, brace yourself. Let's go now, my stomach is hurting and calling for food."

"You're not going to cover the neck?"

"No point in doing so. It's impossible to cover, really. Although I have to admit this is kind of hot", she winked and then grabbed Beca's hand, starting to walk to the door only to be pulled back by Beca. The DJ might have been small, but she had put quite some strength in the movement and Chloe ended up flushed against the brunette.

"I-", Beca placed a kiss on Chloe's right cheek, "am-" and kissed the left cheek, "sorry-" and kissed the tip of the redhead's nose.

Chloe looked at her with the annoyed expression still on her face. She lasted only a few second, before sighing and groaning. She rolled her eyes before pulling out of the embrace and grabbing Beca's hand and making her way out of the door.

"You are unbelievable."

"I love you too."

 _ **I'm just about to leave for a week. I hope I can update another chapter within a few days but I make no promises on that! be back soon xx**_


	5. Chapter 5

"Well well well! Look who's here, Romeo and Juliet, Rose and Jack, Sandy and Danny."

"Oh! Thelma and Louise!"

"Very funny, girls", Beca said entering the kitchen with Chloe while Stacie and Cynthia exchanged a high-five.

"Let it go girls, Beca's a bit grumpy today, isn't she?", the redhead said poking Beca's side making the girl jump and laugh, then cough trying to get back the annoyed grumpy expression. The brunette grabbed Chloe's wrists and held them down while a smile crept on her face, "Stop-poking. I'm ticklish."

Beca widened her eyes realizing what she had just said and what would come of it. In front of her, a huge grin was matching two bright sparkling blue eyes. _What have I done._  
Chloe attacked her sides, tickling and pinching and poking and earning a squeak or a scream from the DJ every time she touched a particular sensitive spot. Beca was laughing out loud, as well as Chloe, as she tried to get out of the redhead's strong grip. Her face was red, her breath short but she hadn't laughed like that for ages and seeing Chloe smile that widely it was just a joy to her heart.

Stacie and CR were watching intently the exchange, trading knowing looks with each other every now in then. "If they keep this going, I think I'll go make some pop corn."

When Beca managed to free herself from the redhead, she grabbed the girl's wrists again and kept them still whilst catching her breath. Locks of hair were free from the messy bun and now they fell on her face casually and to Chloe it was one of the best sights she could ever witness. Chloe herself had a messy hair, which Beca promptly brushed away and behind her shoulder with one hand.

What she didn't think of, though, was that that way she gave Stacie and Cynthia a perfect and clear view of Chloe's neck, decorated with many little bruises. And Beca thought for the second time in less than 12 hours that her eardrum got broken through when Stacie screamed and bolted to Chloe, grabbing her chin and holding it up in order to show her neck.

"God Beca, well done. I have to admit I didn't think you had it in you. Get 'em, tiger, right?", Stacie smirked and winked at Beca, making the girl blush hard but at the same time the girl couldn't help feeling something at the pit of her stomach that made her also feel kind of proud of the new relationship she was developing with Chloe. _Well, that is weird._ But she smiled widely anyway.

"Okay okay, I get it", the DJ reached for Stacie's wrist pulling them away from the redhead, "-now hands off my girlfriend". _Might as well put all the cards on the table, we've already been busted,_ Beca smiled to herself, _useless to keep denying this._

"Girlfriend?"

" _Girlfriend?_ "

" _Yes_ , girlfriend", Beca remarked at the two identical questions asked by Stace and CR. Chloe on the other hand was eyeing her suspiciously, but then her expression shifted from slightly confused to extremely happy even though Beca and her hadn't actually talked about what they _had_ , just about what they _felt._ It was nice though to see Beca so willing to make it -whatever it was, Chloe still wondered- official.

She reached for Beca's hands, taking them in hers and pulling her closer. She brought her lips to the brunette's and pressed them hard against each other. She bit and sucked on Beca's lower lip and then ran her tongue over it, making Beca whimper before parting her lips. Their tongues clashed as Beca raised a hand and slipped it behind Chloe's neck, scratching her scalp and gently grabbing the red locks to keep her close.

Cynthia Rose clasped her hands together. "Oookay! How about we keep this PG-13? Or even PG. Or G rated."

The two girls pulled away, huge grins plastered on their faces. Beca slid her arm around Chloe's waist, keeping her close and flashing the other two Bellas a cocky self-confident smirk. While Beca looked ahead of her, Chloe turned her head to the DJ glancing at her before quickly kissing her cheek. She was smiling so wide that her cheeks were hurting. _I can so get used to this kind of pain._

Stacie rolled her eyes "Ugh, you are so sweet it's disgusting, really. Still, you owe me details." Beca raised her eyebrow incredulous, which Stacie replied to with a general wave of hand before explaining.

"Hey, there's a lotta money at stake here. And _you_ -", she pointed at Beca, "-can't blame us for such innocent bets! It's not like we were betting on whether you would end up together or heartbroken. We were betting on _when_ and _how_ you would get together."

Beca's brow furrowed and she opened her mouth ready to complain but got cut off by Chloe who interjected as she slapped Beca on the arm playfully. "Stop complaining-"

"I literally didn't say a word-"

"You were just about to", Chloe replied raising an eyebrow at Beca, whose mouth was already open to disagree, silencing her. Beca groaned and rolled her eyes, knowing to have lost another battle to a too cute redhead, whom she really had to learn to say no to. Chloe on the other hand chuckled at the DJ's reaction and resumed her conversation with Stacie and Cynthia.

"-Anyway. There's actually not much to say that can help you sort out the second bet. We kind of stepped up together, you know. But I have to say, putting us in the same room with only one bed probably helped, so score for whoever made that decision." Chloe shrugged, grinning at the fellow Bellas in front of her.

"Dammit! That screws the bet!"

The girls turned around to see the source of the new voice behind them. Fat Amy walked in the kitchen, clearly displeased with what she had just heard about the two captains and the bet. She walked over to the kitchen counter and grabbed the bag of cookies, diving her hand down and pulling out a handful before stuffing them in her mouth. With her mouth full of cookies, she tried to say something that came out more like _"-m hupy fo' ya bu' ya coud hav a leas tried to hep os"._

At the confused blank looks she received, she held up her index finger silently telling the girls to wait a sec. Once able to talk again, she translated. "I said, I'm happy for you but you could have at least tried to help us!"

Beca's expression shifted from confused to incredulous slash annoyed, making Amy raise her hands, "Kidding. Totally kidding, Shorty." She then flashed a smirk at Cynthia and Stacie before walking up to Beca and throwing an arm around her shoulders. "Still, I heard someone got busted while doing nasty-dirty things-", she nudged at Beca's side with her elbow, "-I definitely need details about it."

"That's what I've been trying to get for the past ten minutes!", Stacie commented with a wave of her hand.

"No one is getting details", Beca started, "there's something called _privacy,_ although I'm starting to think that nobody in this house knows what it is. _Yes_ , you too Chloe. Especially you", she added seeing that Chloe was about to comment on what she was saying. The redhead shrugged, "I _know_ privacy, I just choose to ignore it", she said with nonchalance.

"Yeah, I noticed years ago". Chloe slapped her arm making Beca whine, "Ouch! Hands off", she pouted massaging the hit spot.

"That was not your idea half an hour ago", the redhead shot back smirking.

Stacie whistled impressed as Beca started to consider digging a hole in the ground and hide there forever. _They would find a way to embarrass me even there._

"Well- ", Stacie started, "-there's only one thing to do now."

Everyone looked at her expectantly curious, waiting for the Bella to give voice to her thought, although Beca was starting to worry about it. God only knew what that girl could pull off. Stacie smiled widely and her eyes seemed to glow of excitement, "New bet! I already have an idea!"

" _NO!_ Absolutely not. Find other people to bet on", Beca pouted snorting and crossing her arms. She shot a glare towards Stacie, hoping that that would be enough to retain the girl from doing, well, _anything._ Stacie, though, stared back at Beca defiantly. Chloe laughed shifting her eyes from one face to the other, curious of how long the two could go on silently eye-fighting (and without blinking, which got kind of creepy at some point) to decide whose decision would win out.

It got even weirder when the look on Stacie's face shifted to something similar to a smirk- or at least a very _very_ bizarre smile.  
"Fine. No bet", Stacie shrugged and got back to her food with nonchalance.

"What? Seriously?", CR groaned with a raised brow. Chloe herself was not that convinced. She knew Stacie and the girl was not one to give up, especially that easily, on something she wanted badly or cared for. Beca on the other hand hadn't noticed the weird change of expression on the fellow Bella's face and had gotten back to her coffee contently. _Of course._

Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed. "I guess I'll go get ready for class. I have a couple in the afternoon, and so do you guys", she pointed at Beca and Stace.

"Shit, I almost forgot. We just got back from a national competition and as winners! Shouldn't we be like exonerated for at least a day?", Stacie groaned loudly as CR and Amy high-fived since they had the afternoon free from class. They gained a glare from Stacie to which Fat Amy responded cheerful with a "Enjoy class, pitches!".

Chloe too glared at her but a second later her smile was back when she turned her head to Beca. "I'll see you later?", she asked leaning in to kiss her softly.

"Sure thing. I mean, we could meet right after class for like- coffee break. I have two classes, too, but we could squeeze coffee in between. I mean, only if you want to! If you don't or whatever, it's perfectly fine! Cool. Great. I'll see you later in the evening or so."

Chloe chuckled shaking her head at her girlfriend's awkwardness. She gave her a peck on the lips and felt the DJ let out a small breath she was holding. _Happens when you do such monologues_ , she chuckled to herself.

Beca's face was red for the breath she had been holding, waiting for an answer. Chloe's smile grew wider just at the sight. "Of course I want to, you dork. I would love to", the redhead finally answered brushing a lock of hair out of Beca's face. Beca smiled breathing deeply. "I will never understand how can you be so adorable even when being such a weirdo", Chloe joked brushing her nose against Beca's cheek. She laughed when saw Beca pouting.

"A weirdo, huh?", the DJ asked raising a eyebrow. She pretended to look annoyed slash offended but, again, how is it possible to actually be angry with someone who has an angel face like that?

" _My_ weirdo", the redhead corrected herself before placing a kiss on the top of the younger girl's nose and then another one on the corner of her mouth. Chloe pulled away ever slightly and looked at Beca. The younger girl tried to avert her eyes and keep up the façade but when Chloe leaned in again to give her another kiss on the cheek, she turned quickly and the kiss that was initially intended to land on the cheek, ended up on the mouth. Beca smiled widely into the kiss, Chloe could feel it and she too couldn't hold back a grin.

"Ugh, can you be even more disgustingly sweet?", Stacie grimaced as Cynthia and Amy nodded in agreement.

Chloe smiled brightly. "I gotta go, see you later girls!", she said making her way out of the kitchen. Beca followed shortly after, "I might go too, if I'm late again for class, Professor Smith is going to kill me. Be nice!", she added then when she saw a weird grins appear on the Bellas' faces.

Once gone, Cynthia turned to Stace. "Were you serious? No bet? Man, we can't give up so easily!"

"Who said anything about giving up?", Stacie smirked. "They said no bet, but there's no way I'm not doing something about those two."

The girls looked at her expectantly, urging her to go on. At that, Stacie explained, "They are disgustingly cute together, like sickening. _But_ I can't deny I'm insanely happy for them, and I'm sure you are too. So I was thinking, we could do something. Like a set up!", she said cheerful.

"Like a date?"

"I'm pretty sure they haven't been on a date yet and I'm gonna be on spy mode to make sure they don't make such plans", she explained further, "We are gonna give them the best first date."

She clapped her hands excited as the girls nodded grinning widely. "That's a good idea, I like it", CR agreed, "and I think they deserve it too. They're the captains, right? They've been working their asses off more than any one of us."

They stayed like that in silence for a few seconds, exchanging looks at each other.

It was Amy who broke the quiet. "Any bets on whether or not they're gonna get it on right after the date?"

" _Please_ , I bet they're not even going to make it through the date!", Cynthia exclaimed as everyone bursted into laughter.

"You're so on with this bet. I'm in", Stacie said.

"I thought you actually said 'no bets'?"

"This one is impossible to resist, come on! Gather the Bellas, we have some work to do!", she winked as everyone started to make their way out of the kitchen and to the bedrooms to warn everybody.


End file.
